The Bennu (The Phoenix)

The Phoenix, a.k.a. "The Bennu".

Known as a popular symbol of Resurrection, the Phoenix is embraced by those who have been purified in the fire of life, scorched to mere ashes, and yet, born anew, they rise to pursue life with a renewed vigor and fresh perspective. They now carry the knowledge in their heart of their true nature, and an appreciation for the finer qualities in life.

The 5000 year old Egyptian heiroglyph used in our pendant is known as "Bennu", and is the forerunner of the Greek myth of the Phoenix. In Greek literature, Herodotus tells of a bird who, every 500 years, senses its own impending death, and builds a funeral pyre of scented herbs. Sitting upon the pyre, the Phoenix sings the sweetest five note song imaginable, whereby the Sun rises, its rays ignite the pyre, and the bird is engulfed in flames and reduced to ashes. Out of the ashes comes a baby bird that gathers the previous remains in a ball of sweet smelling myhrr and flies to Heliopolis to bury the ashes of the last incarnation in the temple.

When you've gone through changes as dramatic as the Bennu, and have rebuilt upon the ashes of a burn-out situation, the phoenix is a totem of hope and achievement.